Lax Her Essentials: Summer Tournament Survival Guide: Part I

IL and STX are proud to bring you a full line up of brand new content specifically designed for women. Lax Her Essentials is a feature focused on delivering you content for the player and by the player, covering everything from skill-building, lifestyle products, players' mindset and more.

This week's Lax Her Essential is Part I of a three-part series in surviving a summer of lacrosse. We all know that summertime means lacrosse camps and tournaments and that means weekends of non-stop lax and sitting in the brutal sun and in most cases, the suffocating humidity of the east coast. Over the next three weeks, Lax Her Essentials will give you tips for surviving the dog days of summer on the recruiting trail. Part I will be for the players, with Part II (coaches) and Part III (parents) coming in the next two weeks.

There's nothing worse than being unprepared for a full day of lacrosse in the hot sun — well, maybe there is, but for the purpose of this post, it's certainly up there. If you're a player packing for a weekend at a camp or tournament, here are the essentials that will help you through the weekend:

One word: sunscreen. The sun is strong and a bad sunburn can make you uncomfortable for the rest of the weekend — not to mention the serious long term effects like skin cancer and wrinkles.

An extra tshirt: If you're playing three games in a day, the extra shirt will allow you to air out your jersey/pinnie a little bit in between games.

Socks: As a wise Lt. Dan said in Forrest Gump, "There is one item of G.I. gear that can be the difference between a live grunt and a dead grunt. Socks. Try and keep your feet dry." That's good advice. Make sure to bring a few pairs to change in between games.

Some outrageously bright item of clothing or accessory: If you're playing in a recruiting tournament, your goal is to get noticed. Obviously, you want to get noticed for your play on the field, but having something brightly colored or different on than other players on the field that will draw eyes to you surely can't hurt. Whether it's a neon ribbon, some crazy spanx, different colored socks or something else, it will at least make you stand out. Then you can let your play speak for itself!

Snacks: For a full day of lacrosse, you're going to need something to help keep your energy up. While a full meal might not be the best idea depending on the timing of your games, a granola bar, nuts or a small box of raisins will help sustain you in between games when you need some extra energy.